Katy Hahn is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Northern Iowa, where she teaches the acting curriculum, directs regularly in the mainstage season, and serves as the resident intimacy director. She is an Educator Advocate with Theatrical Intimacy Education, and presented at their first annual Symposium in Chicago last fall. Katy lives in Cedar Falls and works across as an actor, director, dialect coach, and intimacy professional. For more information about Katy, please visit www.katyhahn.com
Best Practices for Theatrical Intimacy – 9:30 a.m.; 11 a.m. in the basement social room
- Theatrical intimacy is old work, but a relatively new field. This workshop will cover current best practices in the entertainment industry for handling consent-based and trauma-informed work, providing all participants with concrete tools for safer and more effective collaboration. Tell the clearest and most interesting story possible in a way that works for everyone’s boundaries!
Amelia Oliver is a Webster City native, with a BA in Theater Arts and Communications from The University of Iowa. For the last 15 years, she made Austin, TX her home base and appeared in several professional film and tv shows. In lots of her roles, she had the opportunity to learn and perform stunts on set. Working with professional stunt consultants unlocked a passion for one of the more hidden artistic ventures in the entertainment industry – stunt work. She started working with a professional stunt group in Austin and acquired skills in wire work, high falls, combat and military training, knives and gun choreography, The Dead Man pull, fire, and precision driving.
Intro to Onstage Stunts 9:30 a.m.; 2:45 p.m. on the stage
- The class will cover: Basic mentality and safety involved in onstage physical work; general movement; slips and falls; knockouts, slaps, and punches; chokes and Hair Pulls; sword and gun play.
- Amelia encourages people to bring their phones so they can record their hard work in the class, and a notebook to take notes as desired.
Danny Blankenship is a Webster City native and New York City-based actor, living in the city since 2023. They earned a BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of South Dakota. While in the city, they’ve performed in numerous cabarets and are always auditioning for the next opportunity.
- Open Scene Workshop– 11 a.m. auditorium and 2:45 p.m. in the social room; In this workshop participants will start with a short group warm up, go over given circumstances/objectives, and try out what we learned with some scenes. All that is needed for this workshop is an open mind, and the willingness to have fun.
Creating Senior Theatre: featuring Loween Getter, director, and members of the cast of “Fiddler On the Roof Sr.”; and John Prignano, COO and Director of Education and Development with Music Theatre International – 4:15 p.m. auditorium
- Learn how to create senior theatre in your community, from staged readings to full productions. We’ll learn about MTI’s Senior Edition Musicals as well as reviewing some plays and cuttings. We’ll also discuss how to take your production out into the community and ways to encourage participation.